Web Summit 2026 preview: humanoid robots, AI actors and a strong Chinese presence in Lisbon
Web Summit returns to Lisbon on 9–12 November. Here is what the published speaker list and schedule say about where AI is heading, and what to watch.
Web Summit is one of the world’s largest tech conferences, and it acts as a shop window for the industry. Its 2026 lineup suggests where the AI conversation is moving: off the screen and into robots, cars and entertainment, with Chinese companies taking a much bigger role than in past years.
The basics
- When: 9–12 November 2026 (Web Summit).
- Where: Lisbon, Portugal.
- Tickets: the general attendee pass is listed at €1,595, with discounted prices of €1,295 and €1,053 shown, all before sales tax. VIP passes start at €1,585 (ticket page). Startups and investors have separate programmes.
- What’s on: talks across 32 industries, themed “summits” within the conference (including an AI Summit, a Future of Work Summit and an Energy Summit), meetups and the evening Night Summit.
Who is speaking
The published 2026 speaker list (Web Summit speakers) is heavy on AI and robotics. Highlights include:
- Humanoid robots as “speakers”. AgiBot’s A3 humanoid and Galbot’s G1 robot are listed alongside people. Executives from AgiBot, Galbot and Unitree, a Chinese maker of robot dogs and humanoids, are also on the bill.
- AI app builders. Tao Zhang, co-founder of Manus AI, an AI agent that carries out online tasks for users, and Michele Catasta, president and head of AI at Replit, the coding platform.
- Chinese tech. Xiaomi, MiniMax, Pony.ai (robotaxis), ModelBest, Tencent and Xpeng’s flying-car unit all have speakers. So does Xiaoxia Qi, director general at the Cyberspace Administration of China, the country’s internet regulator.
- Others: Richard Socher (You.com and Recursive) and Alex Mashrabov of Higgsfield, an AI video company.
Sessions worth flagging
The schedule is now live (Web Summit schedule). Three sessions on 10 November stand out:
- “How AI actors are creating entertainment’s next frontier”, with Eline van der Velden of Particle 6 and Tilly Norwood, an AI-generated “actress”. Expect debate: AI performers worry many people in film and TV.
- “AI and the human at 300km/h” on Centre Stage, with Atlassian co-founder Mike Cannon-Brookes and James Vowles, team principal of the Atlassian Williams Formula 1 team.
- “Taking the flying car from sci-fi to reality”, with Deli Zhao of Xpeng’s flying-car unit.
The AI themes to watch
- Physical AI. This means AI that moves around and acts in the real world, such as robots and self-driving vehicles. The number of robot makers in the lineup suggests this will be the headline theme.
- China’s growing role. Watch how Chinese firms present themselves to a European audience while trade and tech tensions with the US continue, and what a Chinese regulator says on stage.
- AI and creative jobs. The AI actor session will test how the industry answers fears about AI replacing human work.
What to watch
Web Summit is broad, so the AI news can get lost in the noise. The best signals are usually product demos, partnership announcements and what policymakers say on Centre Stage. We will report on the AI stories that matter from Lisbon.
Speakers and sessions can change. Check the official Web Summit site for the latest.
